


Even This Repays Me

by Idiotgangleader



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, F/M, Reader-Insert, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 20:44:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11540112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idiotgangleader/pseuds/Idiotgangleader
Summary: Reader is an aspiring actress cast as the lead role in one of Roth's productions. When another actor doesn't show up for rehearsal, Roth fills in the read the lines...





	Even This Repays Me

A large exhale escaped your mouth as you paced back and forth backstage of the Alhambra. Your heart was racing and you kept fidgeting with your hands as you waited for the director and owner of the establishment to arrive. Today’s rehearsal did not go well at all and it left Mr. Roth in a foul mood, though it was no fault of your own. You were cast in the role of Cleopatra in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Mr. Roth had told you after your audition that you were a natural for the role and that he had high hopes for you. However, Paul, the man playing Mark Antony did not show up for rehearsal today. As expected, the director was furious but ordered rehearsal to go on anyway. He had one of the stage hands read the lines from the script while he worked on the blocking of the scenes. Mr. Roth’s temper was short for the rest of the rehearsal and no one dared to cross him; though it could be said that the man’s temper was short even on the best of days. It was common knowledge that Mr. Roth was deeply involved in the criminal underworld but it was never talked about outside of hushed whispers amongst the performers, and for good reason. That being said, it was not unheard of for actors who were known for being rude or tardy to mysteriously disappear and never be spoken of again. However, this was the most reputable theatre in London, and many performers such as you felt it was worth the risk. However, when Mr. Roth approached you after rehearsal and told you he wanted to see you afterwards, you were terrified. You had slipped up a little of your lines at rehearsal and you knew you were going to pay for it now.

You had no idea what happened to those actors that disappeared after they had crossed Roth, but you were sure you were going to find out. Perhaps you would just get banished from the theatre and told to never come back. Even though it was better than the other horrible things you could think of, it was still a terrible outcome you did not want to think about. Before this role, you had been just a company dancer or a choir singer. This was your first role in the spotlight and you were determined to not let it go anything other than perfectly. If you nailed this role, other roles would come and work would be much easier to find. But if you were fired from here, there was a very real possibility that you would never be able to work in theatre again, and that thought broke your heart.

Another thing that was scuttling around in your mind was the fact that you disappointed Mr. Roth. Even before you came to London, you knew of his reputation as being one of the biggest names in the theatre industry. You were so excited when you landed your first part at the Alhambra, even though it was a minor part at the time. After hearing so many stories, many of them eerie in nature, you were so surprised to see that the esteemed Maxwell Roth was so involved in the workings at the music hall. You had worked in many other theatres before, and most owners simply hired someone else to oversee the productions; maybe making an appearance for a few minutes during a rehearsal once a month. But Roth was different. He was at every rehearsal and worked with the cast and crews until he was satisfied that everything was up to standard. Even though he could be frightening at times, you had to admit that the man had a certain charisma about him, and dare you say it, _charm_. And he wasn’t always sporting a threatening demeanor that would make the devil shiver. After a successful production or run through of a script, it was if he transformed into a completely different person. His attitude would become jovial and exuberant and he would be running around as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

Unfortunately, you severely doubted that this would be one of those times. After such a horrible rehearsal and then him requesting your presence afterwards, you knew to expect the worst.

Your fear was realized as you heard the tapping of shoes walked up behind you. When you turned around, it was none other than the man himself. Your heart was in your throat as you studied his face and tried to maintain a professional composure. His expression was completely devoid of emotion, which for some reason only made you that more nervous. He didn’t look as if he was particularly angry, but you also knew that the man was very unpredictable and that you should tread very lightly. That was another thing that fascinated you about the man; there were some times where he left his emotions on his sleeves. And there were others where he was completely unreadable and impossible to predict. To say he was an eccentric man was an understatement, but he was also so interesting to the point where you often wondered who he really was outside of theatre and business. Of course, you put such feelings aside whenever you were around him. He was a businessman after all; you were just an actress, an employee. Nothing more. However, the sound of his voice brought you back from your thoughts.

“Ms. (L/N), I apologize for the inadequacy of today’s rehearsal. I should have gotten someone who has some degree of acting skills to read the lines in the place of Mr. Deumont. It seemed as though the lack of an adequate partner was giving you trouble.” He said with a calm tone and a professional smile on his face.

Wait a moment, he was apologizing? This didn’t seem right. Surely he didn’t call you here just so that he could tell you that. What exactly what going on here, you thought as you tried to maintain your professional demeanor.

“Now that I am not occupied with scene setups, I can assist you with the scenes you were struggling with.” He said calmly as he pulled out a script and handed it to you. When you took it, you noticed it was marked to Act III scene XI.

You gulped in nervousness; this was one of the scenes that you dreaded the most. A scene in which Antony kisses Cleopatra. You knew as an actress you would have to kiss someone on stage eventually, but as this was your first lead role and things were still early in production, you hadn’t yet reached the opportunity. And your career as an aspiring actress left little room for courting in your personal life. Needless to say, you were vastly inexperienced in the art of kissing and well beyond nervous.

Wait a moment, he couldn’t possibly mean that he was going to read the lines of Antony? The thought alone threatened a thick blush to appear on your cheeks. This couldn't possibly be happening. In a way, you were beyond excited. You were alone with the great Maxwell Roth, a man you idolized. But at the same time, this was purely professional only. And you couldn't let yourself get distracted or else he would get displeased with you.

“Also, this is a very romantic scene between Antony and Cleopatra and I want to choreograph it to make sure it is done correctly. Unfortunately, I cannot wait until Mr. Deumont returns. _If_ he returns.”

You noticed the disdain in his voice when he mentioned Paul’s name and you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He may very well have lost his role if not worse, but you couldn’t think of that right now. Now, all you had to focus on was getting this scene over with so you could move onto something else and hopefully lighten up Mr. Roth’s mood.

“How would you like to choreograph this scene, sir?” you asked calmly, wondering what he had in mind.

You swore you could see a smirk tug at the corners of his mouth but you convinced yourself that you were seeing things.

“First, let me see you run through this scene so I can make any corrections if necessary.” he said with confidence before taking off his jacket. “I will start at line 50 and you respond accordingly.” he said as he threw his jacket over on a pile of props. You noticed he had no script in his hand. Could he possibly know the play by heart? You were interuppted from your thoughts again by his voice.

_“Oh, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See_

_How I convey my shame out of thine eyes_

_By looking back what I have left behind_

_’Stroyed in dishonor.”_

The anger in his voice startled you and you flinched unintentionally. His gaze was intense and his eyes were focused on you, you felt genuinely afraid for a moment and forgot your lines before finally coming to your senses.

_“O my lord, my lord,_

_Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought_

_You would have followed.”_

Your voice was meek and quiet and you hung your head down, almost afraid to meet his intense eyes. Those intense green eyes that shot fear and wonder within you.

_“Egypt, thou knew’st too well_

_My heart was to thy rudder tied by th’ strings,_

_And thou shouldst tow me after. O’er my spirit_

_Thy full supremacy thou knew’st, and that_

_Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods_

_Command me.”_

The way he was speaking to you, you could hardly believe it was acting. The way he just immersed himself into a role on command without even having to look at a script was mesmerizing, You couldn’t help but become lost in your role as well and uttered the pleading words of the distraught queen.

_“Oh, my pardon!”_

It was then you realized that while he may just be acting, you weren’t. You wanted to please him, in more ways than one. And the thought of him being angry at you was too much to bear. The anger in his piercing green eyes was sending shivers into your body and you could feel your cheeks heating up. This was certainly not the way an employee should think about her boss, but luckily for you it was perfect for the scene.

_“Now I must to the young man send humble treaties,_

_Dodge and palter in the shifts of lowness,_

_Who with half the bulk o’ th’ world played as I pleased,_

_Making and marring fortunes. You did know_

_How much you were my conqueror, and that_

_My sword, made weak by my affection, would_

_Obey it on all cause.”_

As he spoke the lines, his body perfectly mimicked the emotions and words of the scene with gestures and various body language. This was why he was the best, you thought. When he walked closer to you, your heart practically stopped. You could smell the spice of his cologne lingering on his clothes, along with what smelled like wine and hints of dust from constantly walking around the theatre day in and day out. You tried to keep your eyes on him, but it was impossible. His gaze was too intense, and your head kept shooting back to the floor. Tears began pricking behind your eyes as you remembered how badly you performed earlier today and how unsure of yourself you were with this role. There was no way you would ever be as good as he was, here you were stumbling over your lines and it wasn’t even rehearsal.

_“Pardon, pardon!”_

Suddenly, you felt a warm gloved hand on your cheek that caused your eyes to shoot open. Gently, he tilted your face upward so that you could look at him properly. Your cheeks were suddenly on fire and you averted your gaze so that he perhaps wouldn’t see the embarrassment all over your face. As if seeing your hesitation, he began gently caressing your cheek with his thumb. His actions caused your eyes to widen more, but soon your eyes closed and you were instinctively leaning into his touch. When you finally did open your eyes again, his own were staring into yours. Although, this time they were different, gentle; almost affectionate.

_“Fall not a tear, I say. One of them rates_

_All that is won and lost…”_

You breathed in his scent as his hand remained on your cheek and you realized in a horrific thought how much you wished this wasn’t just acting. You wanted this, you wanted him. Even though he was an organized criminal and quite a few years older than you, you wanted him so badly. For a moment, you forgot the next line. The line that would make your head spin and question everything.

“Give me a kiss...”

His voice was but a whisper, but it felt louder than anything you had ever heard in your life. Those four words, they sounded so different than the lines spoken before and you wondered for a moment if he was genuine, as unlikely and impossible as that may be. His thumb gently rubbed circles into the skin of your cheek as if to give you encouragement. After gathering up your courage, you slowly leaned in and brushed your lips against his.

That was as far as you expected it to go, but it seems that he had other ideas. His lips moved slowly and gently against your own as his hand stroked your cheek and hair. Your heart felt like it was about to beat out of your chest at any moment and your lungs felt like they would explode.

All too soon, he pulled away but his hand still remained on your face; forcing your gaze to stay on him, as if that was needed. His eyes still remained gentle and you just wanted to lose yourself in them.

“Even this repays me…” he whispered before giving you a small smile, resulting in you smiling back at him.

The two of you stayed like that for a little while before he cleared his throat, signaling the return of his professional demeanor along with his hand being removed from your face. When he spoke, the butterflies that were previously in your stomach returned with full force.

“That was good, but there is some room for improvement. Let us run through that scene a few more times.”

Those words practically made your heart leap in joy as you bit down on your tongue to hide your eagerness.Taking some deep breaths, you prepared yourself physically and mentally for the next round, hoping it would be even better than the first.

**Author's Note:**

> This is hopefully the first of several oneshots regarding the other characters of Syndicate outside of Jacob Frye. I'm planning on writing x readers for Evie Frye, Crawford Starrick, Lucy Thorne, Pearl Attaway, Frederick Abberline, and Henry Greene as well. Hope you like this :)


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